Aylesbury authorities respond to video of woman sleeping in her car

There was lots of concern over the weekend for a woman who was reportedly sleeping rough.

A woman who was sleeping rough in her car in Aylesbury has been housed.

We've had updates from authorities in Buckinghamshire who help the homeless, after a lot of concern on social media.

A video emerged over the weekend, in which the woman talked about having to sleep in her car and there were reports no-one was helping her.

Now, Buckinghamshire Council have told us they were able to make contact on Sunday and house the woman.

They say they do their best and often the accommodation is temporary until a more permanent solution can be found.

Cllr Isobel Darby, Cabinet Member for Communities, said:

"The person featured in the video was placed in temporary accommodation on Sunday, only a matter of hours after we had been able to make a confirmed contact with them. We are not in a position to go into the details of an individual case, as this would conflict with our requirement to maintain client confidentiality."

She went on to say that the MHCLG (the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government) had asked the Council to accommodate rough sleepers and all verified rough sleepers at that time received an offer of accommodation, though one in Aylesbury declined and is being supported by the outreach team.

Cllr. Darby added:

"Of course this is an ever changing picture and so we continue to work with new clients who find themselves homeless during this time. However, it does take time to check a person's individual situation and find accommodation for them.

"Also, we cannot always provide the type of accommodation or location which a client would prefer and they need to recognise, particularly at this time, that what we are offering is only temporary, while we discuss longer term housing options with them."

We also asked Aylesbury Homeless Action Group about the situation.

A spokesperson told us:

"Aylesbury Homeless Action Group would never comment on any individual case, in order to ensure that confidentiality and dignity is maintained.

"However, we do work tirelessly to ensure that each person is given the most appropriate advice and support based on their individual circumstances."